*Old* WinZip Wizard Interface

Note: The WinZip Wizard is no longer available, starting with WinZip 15.0. The information in this article applies to WinZip 14.5 or earlier.

The WinZip Wizard can be great for WinZip users who prefer responding to prompts in a series of steps. When available, WinZip will default to theWinZip ribbon interface. After installing WinZip, you may need to see How to switch to another interface in order to switch to the WinZip Wizard. You can use the same information if you want to switch back to the ribbon interface. The WinZip Classic button in WinZip Wizard will take you immediately to the Legacy menus toolbar interface.

A "wizard" is a series of panels or pages that help you through a task. The wizard look and feel is standardized and is used throughout Windows and in many applications. Wizards are especially useful for complex or infrequently performed tasks.

The WinZip Wizard automates the most common tasks involving Zip files. Using the Wizard, you can:

Quickly access Zip files you've downloaded: no need to use Windows Explorer to hunt for downloaded files. The Wizard lists the Zip files in Favorite Zip Folders by date, with the most recent files first, so you can quickly find the files you most recently downloaded. A search feature will find any "lost" Zip files on your hard drive.

Automatically install software, desktop themes, and screen savers distributed in Zip files: if a Zip file contains a setup or install program, a desktop theme, or a screen saver, the Wizard will unzip the files, run the installation program (if appropriate), and clean up temporary files.

Easily zip, and unzip: just check the option for the action you want to perform, and the Wizard leads you through the process, step by step.

Extract files from split or multiple disk (spanned) Zip files.

Run pre-defined WinZip Job Files, or custom Job Files, that are provided to you from a trusted source.

WinZip Wizard vs. WinZip Classic

Both the WinZip ribbon interface and Legacy menus toolbar are versions of WinZip Classic. These and the WinZip Wizard interface are included in WinZip. Once in the Wizard, one click allows you to switch to the "Legacy" Classic interface and vice versa.

The WinZip Wizard interface is ideal if you want to know as little about Zip files as possible and just get started with the files you've downloaded. The Wizard lets you click the Next button a few times, and presto, your files are zipped, unzipped, or installed. When you want to use more advanced zipping features, you can easily switch to the Classic interface.

The award-winning WinZip Classic interface, featuring tight integration with the Windows shell and versatile drag-and-drop facilities, is great if you are comfortable using Windows and Windows Explorer or if you want to use advanced zipping features. The WinZip ribbon interface includes a simplified Zip option with a handy Encrypt check box; a 1-Click Unzip option that automatically extracts the contents of a Zip file to a folder it creates for you; and an Auto Open feature that will extract and open a Microsoft Office document, spreadsheet, or presentation when you double click a Zip file.